Lattice pattern from Cairo in EPP

"This postcard from Egypt has been knocking around the house for years.  So I am not sure why now was the right time to tackle the pattern on the right in EPP.  

On metric graph paper and it seemed about the right scale so I thought I'd do a small sample piece.  Here it is pinned to the wall so perhaps you can get an idea of the scale from the pins.  The smallest piece is 1cm square. 

The fabrics are all shot cottons, which makes like easier when doing small piecing.  I had a lot of blues to I decided to use them all,  hoping it would give the effect of mosaics or tiles.  

Just after starting this I got a Sewline glue pen.  Glue basting is certainly quicker than traditional basting but I am not sure how easy it will be to remove the paper pieces.

It's good fun trying to work out how to construct a pattern from an image.  EPP was probably the only possible method, at least on this scale.  

There are so many of these fascinating patterns on floors, walls and in books.  I might have to wait a while before I can look at this one, though...

..thanks, Muppet.

If you are on Instagram you might have seen Muppet's paws before. Sorry for the paws overload.

As it's a WIP I'm linking up at Freshly Pieced..

Alhambra Star EPP - Top finished?

I've come to a halt with this piece, which was an attempt to mimic this Moorish tile panel from Alcazar, Seville, in Spain.  Not Alhambra but I'm still calling it Alhambra Star. I used mostly leftover Oakshotts with some Kaffe Fassett shot cottons thrown in.  It is not an exact copy of course. I like the way many of these patterns have an outline which could be done in bias binding, but did not feel ready to tackle that.





You can see a a shed load of these on here - there are so many - and with EPP (English Paper Piecing) you can make any shape you like without worrying about Y seams - as long as you are not in a hurry. A little bit obsessed with these patterns. They seem to rattle around in my tiny brain until I can process them. This is a six-fold pattern based on a 60 degree equilateral triangle but there are many more complex ones.  I just might have a go at doing some more of these and perhaps join them together.  Or not.  Dithering as usual.  

The finished piece is just the right size for a Miss Ted quilt - so she is borrowing it for a while.  It might also make a cushion / pillow or a wall hanging.  I like the way the different blues show up in this photo.

At the moment there are no quilts or minis on my walls.  No room really. But I have also to admit that I have rationalised my fabric addiction guilt by telling myself that everything I make has to be useful. Otherwise I'll be knee deep in it and own a hundred cats. Anyone else share that problem?  

Hmm.  The Germans would have one word for fabric addiction guilt.  How about Stoffgiftschuld?

Alhambra Star EPP

This design started when I was cat-sitting my son and his partner's new slightly crazy rescue cat.  She is very much an outdoor cat, but is having to be kept indoors so she knows where her new home is. She is stir crazy and needs company.  After about an hour running madly from window to window to look at birds and squirrels, she finally settled.  

It looks like one of those intricate Moroccan tilings that you see at the Alhambra - but it is a simplified version based on a 60 degree triangle which could be worked out easily on triangle graph paper.  Many of the islamic tile patterns are far more complex, with many more points in the circle.  I've collected loads of them on a Pinterest board here.

The fabrics I am using are mostly Oakshott scraps.  I find these much easier for small piecing as the fabric is thinner than quilting cotton - and those tiny triangles around the central hexagon are - well, tiny.   But any solid that fits the colour scheme will go in.

Three units are together at the moment.  I would like it to get bigger but we will see.  

I'm linking up with Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day and also with Jessica's Monday Morning Star Count.